Ernest Ballot first began enterprising in the world of marine and industrial engines before re-founding an eponymous company in 1910 with a new focus on the increasingly popular automobile. Delage, La Licorne, and Mass became noted early customers of his designs, and by 1919, the firm had even dipped its toe into motorsport with the help of renowned Swiss engineer, Ernest Henry, a man well known for his Grand Prix-winning twin-cam, multi-valve engines.

Ballot soon found success in the world of Grand Prix racing with a 4th-placed finish at the 1919 Indianapolis 500 and a 2nd-placed finish at the 1921 French Grand Prix, among other accolades. With a limited customer base for race cars, Ballot moved into the road car market in 1921 with the 2LS. Heavily derived from its racing forebears, the vehicle featured impressive twin-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and a 2.0-litre displacement good enough for a top speed over 90 mph. The company’s elite motorsport pedigree and exceptional engineering allowed the 2LS to stand as the fastest, most expensive, and alluring sports car of its day.

The 1922 Ballot 2LS Three-Seater Skiff Tourer on offer is believed to be one of just three cars shipped new to Australia. Bolstering the vehicle’s rarity, just under 50 cars were believed to have been produced in total, with only five complete examples thought to survive today. An unlikely first home for such a high-performance machine, chassis number 43 was delivered to the Pye Brothers, two farmers from New South Wales, Australia, and fitted with a three-seater skiff body by French coachbuilder, Kelsch.

The Ballot first entered competition in 1926 once it changed hands to its second owner, Daniel Vinent Clifton, an operator of several General Motors dealership within the state. With racer Dick Clark behind the wheel, the car participated in a number of races and reliability trials throughout 1927 and achieved notable success. By 1930, the strain of competition began to take its toll however, and the engine eventually blew a connecting rod.

The Ballot was subsequently sold an employee of Clifton, Ron MacKellar, and repaired with a new, lower body by Callow and Sadler of Sydney. Once completed in 1932, the vehicle returned to competition and set the fastest lap contesting the NSW Light Car Club’s carnival at Maroubra. Chassis number 43 would gain a level of notoriety in this period culminating in its appearance within The Motor of Australia magazine with its trophies prominently displayed along the running boards.

Eventually, more modern designs led to the Ballot losing its competitiveness and MacKellar decided to retire the car. Over the next couple of years, several individuals came to own the racer before it came into the hands of A G Fox of Melbourne in 1937. Remaining in use throughout the war, the vehicle was ultimately placed in storage in 1947, where it remained for the next 30 years.

Dr W E Southgate became the next owner of the Ballot when he acquired the car from Fox’s widow in 1977. Under the Doctor’s attention, the car received a comprehensive restoration and returned to the road participating in VSCC of Victoria rallies and other historic events. After 30 years of enthusiastic ownership, Dr Southgate decided to part ways with chassis number 43, and it soon found a new home in 2006 with a well-known former motoring journalist, Douglas Blain, who had come to own another surviving 2LS.

Once again, the Ballot received a comprehensive cosmetic and mechanical restoration. During the course of the project it was decided to remove the Callow and Sadler body in favour of recreating the original coachwork using Kelsch components held in the owner’s possession. The comprehensive history file composed of multiple boxes filled with documents detail the immense work carried out on the vehicle by Aldo Billotta, Vintage Body Shop, and talented engineer Louis Santin. Once complete in the autumn of 2015, the Ballot returned to the road for a maiden tour of East Victoria. Over the next several years, the car continued to participate in numerous events while receiving additional mechanical work to maintain its roadworthiness. In the recent past, the car was exhibited at the Hampton Court Concours in 2024 and was heavily featured in the two-volume book Ballot by Daniel Cabart and Gautam Sen.